Funds are requested to purchase a new Zeiss LSM 510 NLO combination confocal/multi-photon microscope for a multi-disciplinary and inter-departmental user group at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). The major user group consists of 3 members from the Department of Physiology & of Cell & Molecular Pharmacology, 1 each from the Department of Pathology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Cardiology, and the Hollings Cancer Center. The proposed major user group, which includes a strong core of users with extensive experience in confocal microscopy, all have an urgent and critical need for confocal and/or multi-photon microscopy. Collectively, the 12 major users participate in 19 different active, NIH-funded grants (15 as principal investigators), 9 active grants from other sources, and 6 pending NIH grant applications. The major rationale for this proposal is 1) the highly restricted and limited availability of confocal microscopy at MUSC and 2) the lack of multi-photon microscopy capability at MUSC. Purchase of the Zeiss LSM 510 NLO system with a Ti: Sapphire Laser will address both of these problems by providing confocal and multi- photon imaging in a single combination system. Concomitant with the expansion of MUSC's research base in terms of numbers of investigators, there has been a tremendous increase in the need for high definition laser-based imaging capabilities. This rapid expansion is continuing today and will outstrip the limited imaging resources at MUSC. Purchase of this state-of-the-art instrument will: (1) provide a productive environment for new investigators: (2) provide a basis for inter-disciplinary and multi-investigator research initiatives; (3) allow completion of existing NIH funded projects; and (4) allow development of new NIH funded research projects. The instrument will be housed within the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience and will be operated as a shared core facility. A detailed organizational plan, substantial institutional support, and a long-term maintenance plan will ensure sustained viability and maximal use of the instrument.